Brainies is one of those weird little SNES puzzle games that slipped under the radar in the mid-90s. You control these oddball creatures—sort of like if a potato and a gremlin had a baby—and shuffle them around to solve tile-based puzzles. At first it seems simple, but then the game starts throwing curveballs like teleporters and switches that change the whole board.

The art style’s got that charmingly janky early 16-bit look, with the Brainies making these ridiculous faces when they get stuck. I remember getting weirdly attached to the little guys after a while, even though half the time I had no idea what they were supposed to be. Definitely one of those "wait, how did this get made?" kind of games, but in a good way.

If you dig obscure puzzle games with personality, this one’s a hidden gem worth digging up.